Automobile turn-table.



U. K. ELMER.

AUTOMOBILE TUR1\T TABLE. APPLIOATION FILED 001.29, 1908.

Patented June 8, 1909.

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3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Suvculoz O. K. ELMER. AUTOMOBILE TURN TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED 001229.1908.

923,825. Patentd June 8,1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. K. BLMER.

AUTOMOBILE TURN TABLE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED 00129, 1908.

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AUTDM'OBILE TUBN. TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909..

, Application filed Qotober29, 1908. Serial No. 460,104.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES K. ELMER, a citizen of the United States, residin at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey, tate of Minnesota, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Automobile Turn-- Tables; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to automatic turntables, more particularly to devices of this character whereby automobiles and similar devices Ina be caused to'be turned within a space equa to their own lengths, and has for its object to provide a sim ly constructed turntable mechanism where y the power of the machine itself is utilized to operate the turntable and reverse the position of theifnachine, to turn it art-way around as required The improve device is designed more particularly for use in small garages or other circumscribed localities but which may be adapted for use wherever devices of'this oharaeter are re uired. v The improvec device may also be employed for enabling steam locomotives and electric locomotives to operate the turntables upon which they are disposed and it is not desired therefore to limit the use of the apparatus for use in connection with any form of motor with which it may be emloyed.

l'Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in a turntable mounted by bearing wheels upon a circular track, two of the Wheels mounted upon inwardly extending shafts having inter-engaging gears, pawls alternately engaging the gears, operating means connected respectively with. said ex tended shafts, means whereby the weight of the rnotor in moving upon the turntable is utilized to lock the cars from movement in dne"dircction while saving them free to rotate in the opposite direction, means whereby the backward rotation of the motor While upon the turntable will operate said shafts in one direction and thus rotate the turntable upon its track, and means whereby the pawls are reversed in position to lock the mechanisni to'enable the motor to leave the turn table without producing rotary motion thereto.

The invention further consists in certain neural featuresof construction as hereafter shown and described and then specifically ointed out in the claims, and in the draw- Ings illustratin%the preferred embodiment of theinvention, igure lis a top plan. view of the im roved apparatus. F 1%. 2 view the same from be'neat Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig, 5 is anenlarged sectional detail of the trip mechanlsm.

The improved device com rises a bed or foundation of any suitab e construction and provided with a circular track 11.

The turntable portion of the device comprises a platform 12, preferably circular and with flanged Wheels 13-14 bearin upon the track, the wheel 13 having an ax e 15 con is a plan noted by bearings 16 to the under side of the platform 12 and the Wheel 14 having an axle 17 connected by bearings 18 to the under side of the platform 12, the Wheels 13- 14 being disposed at opposite sides of the platform. V

Disposed at the opposite sides of the platform between the Wheels 1314 are similar wheels 1S1--20 mounted upon inwardly extending shafts 21-22, the shaft 21 supported from the platform by hangers 23, and the shaft 22 su ported from the latform by hangers 24. The inner ends of t 1e shafts 21-22 are provided respectively with inter engaging gears 25-26 so that motion appliedto either of the shafts 2122 will rotate the wheels 19-20 in thesalne direction, as hereafter explained, and thus rotate the platform upon the track, the wheels 1314 running as idlers upon the track and supporting the platform in a horizontal position.

Mountedfor oscillation beneath the platform 12 are two rock shafts 27 28, the shaft 27 having a lever arm 29 extending therefrom and protruding through an apermm 30 in the platform adjacent to the wheel 20, while the shaft 28 is provided with a similar trip lever 31 rotruding throu h an aperture 32 in the patform adjacent $0 the wheel 19, the shafts 27' 28 being located at opposite sides of the shafts-21.-22 and the gears 25-26. The inner end of the rock 105 shaft 27 is provided with a crank 3.3, while the rock shaft 28 is provided with a sir'nilar crank 34, the two cranks being connected by a rod so that the shafts oscillate in unison when operated, as hereafter explained,-

Loosely engaging the rock shaft 27 is a pawl 36 adapted to engage the teeth of the s r 1 l gear 25, and loose upon the rock shaft 28 is a similar pawl 37- adspted to engage the teeth of the gear 25. The shafts 27'28 are rovided respectively with studs 59+j -60 w rilethe pawls 36-87 are provided respectively with stop studs 61-62 engaging with the studs 5960 when the pawls are arranged in one position. The pawls 36-37 are also provided respectively with springs 636-l operating to maintain the pawls with the studs in yieldable engagement. The cranks 333+l and connecting rod 35 are so arranged that when the'shaft 28 is rotated to bring the pawl 37 into engagement with the teeth 26 the pawl 36 will be held out of engagement with the gear 25 and when the positions of the shafts 2728 are reversed, the pawl 36 will engage the gear 25 end the pawl 37 will be disengaged. from. the gear 26, the object to be hereaiter explained.

Mounted for rotation through it suitable opening 39 in the platform 12 are three shafts -l0--- l142 disposed in parallel reletions with the central shaft ll below" the line of the remaining shafts l0 l2, the shafts 4O 42 having 'rollers 43 upon their between the shafts 40-41 and their rollers 43. An idler shaft 65 is arranged between the shafts elO---l2 and provided with idler rollers 66. The shaft 65 is lower then the shafts JED-42, so that the automobile wheels will bear equally upon all the rollers, as will be obvious. At t e opposite side of the pletfornr12 another opening 19 is formed and mounted for rotation within this opening are three shafts 50-51-52 similar to the shafts 40-4l1-42, and provided with rollers 53 similar to the rollers 43. The shaft 51 is provided with a beveled gear 54 engaging with a beveled ear 55 on the shaft 22 so that the motion of t e shaft 51 will be communicated to the shaft 22. The shaft 51 is also provided with a sprocket wheel 56 connected by a chain 57 to s sprocket'wheel 58 on" the shaft 50 so that motion will be communisas es The improved device is double acting so that it is immaterial at which side of the platform the machine enters, but for the purpose of illustrating the operation or" the device it is assumed that the ins-chine enters from tl e lef t, and when this occurs the forward wheels depress the trip lever 31 therein oscillating the shaft 28 and elevating the i and 3'? 8 depressing the pawl 36 and the mac-him stopped with its rear wheels upon the friction wheels 43. The nisehine' is then run backward to cause: the central shalt ll to he rotated hsclrwardly, the motion beinu tronsmitted through the pinion as and g 45 to the shaft 2 and the wheel 19 and course through the gears 25-2r'5 and shaft 2.; to the wheel 20 in the same direction, this motion revolving the platform 12 as will he OlJVlLblls.

As soon as the platform has been rotated to the required point the inuehine is moved forward over the rollers 53-58 and as the forward wheel strikes the trip lever 29 the pawl 36 is elevated and the pawl 37' depressed thus locking the wheels 19--2O from movcineut through the rotation of the wheels of. the machine u )011 the rollers 53 holding the rollers static 1a 3 p the machine to be run oil' from thcplzi 'o'rm. If the nmcliine enters upon the 1 from the right the operation will he. th: fbut reversed, as will be obvious.

It will be noted that the sp. ..1 pawl 36 drugs over the gears all in the rear wheels, of the llltfll ning backward, and the gear direction of motion of the forwu rd rel r that while the rear wheels are runnir ward the front wheels are running f Thus the inst-nut the automobile is run forward, it looks the gears and shows the automobile to run oil the rollers, and when the irontrollers strike the trip lever 20 it looks the gears, from movement in the opposite direction, so that the rear wheels can run over the wheels just veeeted h the front wheels without producing motion in the gen r wheels. There are therefore two distinct operations of the locking goers each time the machine leaves the rotating-1 table.

The im )roved device is simple in construc tion, can e readily adapted for imichines of various sizes without material structural changes, and while the structure disclosed in the drawings"illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be under stood that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the rinciple of the invention or sncri lining any or its advantages.

If required, the platform 12 may be provided with apertures where the bearing wheels are disposed ffhtl throu h which the bearing wheels protrude, so the platform may be located in eonipuretivett' low position while employing homing wheels of llll;

' adapted to e actuated by the drive wheels. are motor driven vehicle when moved in one direction for communicating motion to said relatively large diameter, the apertures being covered by protecting hoods 69; a

' vWhatisclaimed,is:

1. The combination with a turntable, of

means operative bythe wheels of a motor driven vehicle when-operated in one direction to cause the rotation of the turntable, and means 0 erative by the wheels of a motor driven vehic e when operated in the opposite direction for locking the turntable rotating means.

2. In an apparatus of the class described,

a turntablefmeans for rotating said turntable, means operative by the wheels of a wheels with which the drive wheels of a motor driven vehicle are adapted to be engaged to rotate the same, means operative by therotation of said friction wheels for communicating motion to said bearing wheels, and means for locking said friction wheels from motion in one direction.

'4. The combination with a turntable mounted u on bearing wheels, of means bearing wheels, and means adapted 'to be operated by said drive Wheels when moving in the op osite direction for locking the bearhug whee s from movement in one direction.

5. Thecombination with a turntable mounted upon hearing wheels, two of the wheels having axle shafts, interengagin'g gears carried by the axle shafts, pawls arranged for alternate engagement with said gears, means adapted to be actuated by the 1 motionfof the drive wheels of a motor driven vehicle to communicate motion to the bearing wheels, and means adapted to be operated by said drive wheels positiono'f the pawls and locking the operatingmeans.

6. The combination with a turntable mounted upon bearing Wheels, two of the.

wheels having axle shafts, interengaging gears carried by said axle shafts, rock shafts carried by said turntable, operating levers carried by said rock shafts, pawls carried respectively by said rock shafts and arranged for alternate engagement with said gear wheels, and means ada ted to be actuated by a motor driven vehic e when moving upon the'platform to cause motion of the axle shafts in one direction, and means adapted to be actuated by the movement of the vehicle to lock the actuating means when leaving the platform.

or reversing the- 7. In an apparatus of the class described, a circular track, a platform arranged above said track, bearing wheels carried by said platform and engaging said track, two of said bearing wheels having inwardly extendmg axle shafts, interengaging gear wl-eels carried by said shafts, rock shafts carried by said platform, operating levers carried by said rock shafts, pawls carried respectively by said rock shafts and arranged for alternate engagement with said gear wheels, means adapted to be actuated by a motor driven vehicle to communicate inotion to said axle shafts, and means ada ted to be operated by a motor driven vehic e for locking the axle shafts from movement in one direction.

8 In an ap aratus of the class described, a circular trac r, a platform arranged above saidtrack, bearing wheels carried by said platform and engaging said track, two of said bearing'wheels having inwardly extending axle shafts, interengaging gear wheels carried by said shafts, rock shafts carried by said platform and provided with cranks, op erating levers carried by said rock shafts,

pawls carried respectively by said rock shafts, a coupling rod extending between said cranks and maintaining the pawls out of engagement alternately with the gears, means adapted to be actuated by a motor driven vehicle to communicate motion to said axle shafts, and means ada ted to be operated by a motor driven vehic e for locking the axle shafts from movement in one direction.

9.. In an apparatus of the class described, a circular track, a platform, bearing wheels carried by said platform and engaging said track, two of said bearing wheels having inwardly extending axle shafts, interengaging gear, wheels carried by said" shafts, rock shafts carried by said platform, operating levers carried by said rock shafts, pawls carried respectively by said rock shafts and arranged for alternate engagement with said gear wheels, a drive shaft mounted for rotation upon said platform at each side of the center thereof and provided'with friction rollers, means for communicating the motion of said drive shafts res ectively to said axle shafts, said friction rolliarsadapted to be engaged by the drive wheels of a motor driven Vehicle and thereby rotated, and means adapted tobe operated by a motor driven. the axle shafts from vehicle for locking movement inone direction.

10. In an ap aratus of the class described, a circular trac a platform arranged above said track, bearing wheels carried by said latform and engaging said track, two of said caring wheels having inwardly -extending axle shafts, interengagin g gear wheels carried by said shafts, rock shafts carried by said platform, operating levers carried by said rock shafts, pawls-carried respectively by said rock shafts and arranged for alternate {said axle shafts, and meanseda ted to be engagement with said gear wheels, a plurality operated bve motor driven vehic e for '1001- of drive shafts spaced apart and mounted for ing the ex e shafts from movement in one rotation upon said platform at opposite sides direction.

5 of the center thereof, friction Wheels carried 1 In testimony whereof, I a-fiix mysignatur 17 by said drive shafts and adapted to be enin presence of two Witnesses. gagedby the drivewheels of a motor driven l CHARLES K. ELMER. 'vehiele, mesns'for communicating motion 1 it-nesses: between said drive shafts, means for com- DAN W. DOTY,

13 munieating the motion of said drive shafts to l ANNA A. LiNnsTRoM. 

